Dietary intake of non-dioxin-like PCBs (NDL-PCBs) in France, impact of maximum levels in some foodstuffs

NDL-PCBs dietary intake was recently estimated in France by combining results of food products contamination by NDL-PCBs (1665 samples collected through 2002–2006 national monitoring programs) with food consumption data of the French “INCA” survey (individual and national survey of dietary intake, performed in 1998–1999). The mean dietary intake of NDL-PCBs estimated from the sum of 6 congeners (PCB 28, 52, 101, 138, 153, 180) is 7.6, 7.7 and 12.9 ng/kg bw/d for women of childbearing age (19–44 years), adults (15 years and over) and children (3–14 years), respectively. Impact of draft maximal levels (MLs) for NDL-PCBs in some foodstuffs was evaluated. The exposure scenario indicates that use of European draft MLs would have a very limited impact on the French population dietary exposure compared with the existing situation (no MLs). Simulations show that lowered MLs required for reducing significantly the French exposure would result to reject more than 20% of the targeted products from the French market compared with 1.3% according to the European draft MLs.